Gendered Dimensions of the Gig Economy: Examining Female Workers’ Experiences in India’s Digital Labour Platforms

Abstract

The rise of digital labour platforms has transformed the Indian employment landscape, creating new pathways for women’s workforce participation while simultaneously reproducing and at times intensifying historical gender inequalities. This article examines the gendered dimensions of the gig economy in India, focusing on female workers’ experiences across platform-mediated sectors including ride-hailing, food and grocery delivery, beauty and wellness services, domestic work platforms, and digital freelance work. Drawing on a critical literature review methodology and feminist theoretical frameworks, the study analyses peer-reviewed scholarship, policy documents, and reports from labour research institutions published between 2015 and 2025. The analysis reveals four interlocking dimensions of gendered platform labour: structural exclusion from male-dominated gig categories, the safety and surveillance paradox in mobility-intensive work, the persistence of unpaid care work that constrains platform participation, and the algorithmic invisibility of feminized labour in policy and protection frameworks. The study draws on intersectional feminism, social reproduction theory, and feminist political economy of platforms to interpret these patterns. While platform work offers flexibility and income access for some women, particularly mothers and those with care responsibilities, it also reinforces occupational segregation, exposes workers to safety risks, and provides limited protection against arbitrary deactivation, harassment, and earnings volatility. The article concludes that addressing the gendered dimensions of the Indian gig economy requires legislative recognition of platform workers’ rights, gender-sensitive platform design, accessible grievance redressal mechanisms, and meaningful recognition of the unpaid care economy that shapes women’s platform participation.